William Maynard Gomm
| Sir William Maynard Gomm | |
|---|---|
Portrait by William Salter (oil on canvas, 1834-1840)
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| Born | 10 November 1784 Barbados, West Indies |
| Died | 15 March 1875 (aged 90) Brighton, Sussex |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1799–1856 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands held |
Northern District Commander-in-Chief, India |
| Battles/wars |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
| Other work | Constable of the Tower |
Field Marshal Sir William Maynard Gomm GCB (10 November 1784 – 15 March 1875) was a British Army officer. After taking part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, he served in most of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars. During the Hundred Days he took part in both the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo. He went on to be Commander of the troops in Jamaica and in that role established new barracks at Newcastle, Jamaica, high in the mountains. After that he became Governor of Mauritius and, finally, Commander-in-Chief, India, in which role he introduced promotion examinations for officers.
Born the son of Lieutenant-Colonel William Gomm (who served in the 46th Foot during the American Revolutionary War and was killed in the attack on Guadeloupe in April 1794) and Mary Alleyne Gomm (née Maynard), Gomm was commissioned as an ensign in the 9th Regiment of Foot on 24 May 1794, at the age of nine, in recognition of the services rendered by his father. Promoted to lieutenant on 14 April 1795, he continued his full-time education at a private school in Woolwich.
Gomm joined his regiment in 1799 and was deployed to the Netherlands where he fought under the Duke of York and Albany at the Battle of Bergen in September 1799 and at the Battle of Alkmaar in October 1799 during the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. He also took part in Sir James Pulteney's expedition to Ferrol in Spain in August 1800 and, having been promoted to captain on 19 July 1803, he joined the Senior Division of the new Royal Military College at High Wycombe. He then served as assistant quartermaster-general under Earl Cathcart at the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807.
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